Topical Search Suggestions
Page Contents
Topics and Logos Controlled Vocabulary
The Topic section of Topic Guide and Basic search, and similar sections in other Guides depend on the Logos Controlled Vocabulary (LCV) to function. Basically the LCV is a manual association of synonyms. For example, Eucharist, Lord’s Supper, and Communion can all refer to the same concept; the LCV associates these terms and allows searches with different terminology to bring up relevant results. Topical resources (i.e. Bible Dictionaries) must be specially tagged to work in these Topic Sections. Logos is working on expanding resources with this special tagging focusing first on the most widely owned topical works. See About Topic Search for more detailed information about the LCV. The searching strategies discussed by this page are not limited to the LCV-tagged resources.
Topic found in Topic Guide
The Topic Guide provides a Topic section with links to LCV resources that address the topic, links to related concepts (e.g. links to “Marriage Customs” and “Polygamy” for your topic of “Marriage”), an expanded query you can use to Search more broadly for this topic and related information in sections such as Related Verses, Sermons and Illustrations.
General methods to help on topics
You will find these methods useful when researching a topic.
Using Factbook for topic info
In most cases you should start with Factbook, as this will provide links to other guides, such as Topic Guide.
Using Bible Word Study for topic info
A Bible Word Study on an English word will often provide useful information in its Topic section.
Use the Parallel Resources
You can use Parallel Resources from a resource that you have open to a topic. Logos will look through your parallel resource for that topic or a close subject and display them in the Parallel drop down menu. It helps to have collections tagged to display in parallel resources.
- Click on the Parallel Resource’s icon in your resource’s toolbar.
- Logos searches through your parallel resources (and collections in which your resource occurs) and shows them in the drop down Parallel Resource list.
- Once that you have clicked on a Parallel Resource Logos opens it in your tab.
Use the Plus tab to see other resources
When you click on the Plus sign in a panel to open a new resource, Logos will use the topic that you have open in the current tab when selecting resources to show you in the new Plus tab. This can aid you in locating other resources which cover your topic.
- In the tile where you have a tab with a resource open to your topic, click on the + (plus sign).
That resource needs to be the active resource
- Logos will open a New Tab. In it Logos shows other resources that you own which are related to your topic.
- The icons on the left just show you resources similar to the current resource. That’s not what you want. But the list on the right shows the list of all resources that have the currently selected topic.
Topic found in Basic Search
Logos provides a Topic section in Search when you use Basic search method and select Everything or Entire Library (Logos 4/5).
- In the top menu click on the magnifying glass icon to open the Search tool.
- Set the search method by clicking on Basic.
- Set resources to search to Everything or Entire Library.
- In the Find box type in your topic word and press Enter.
- After Logos finishes the search, notice the Topic section. Click on the bar to expand it.
- In the expanded view hover your mouse over the different links. Logos shows you a preview of what you will find for those links. Once you find a useful link, click on it and Logos will open that resource to that location.
Topic from a Field Search
Large Text or Heading Text from the drop down in Basic Search will work in any resource that has been tagged with those Search Fields. Large Text tagging is based on font size and is automatically provided by the Indexer on all resources with “large” text, which is usually found in headings. The size basis is not perfect but it provides an alternative to LCV tagged resources. You can restrict the search to any topical collection (below).
Searching using a Collection
You might want to create a collection for resources which you consider having useful topic information. Then you can use the Search tool to search for your topic only in your collection.
- Create a collection of books in your library which are useful for finding topics.
- Open the Search tool.
- Set the Search method to Basic.
- Set the resources to be searched to your collection for topical searches.
- Enter your topic word in the Find box and press Enter.
- Review each book in the search window to locate articles on your topic.
Note that using Large Text instead of All Text will improve the relevance of your results.
Topic found in Passage Guide
Logos provides a Topics section in the Passage Guide. And you may not be familiar with the ability to enter a topic word in the Reference box rather than a scripture reference. This can help you locate Bible scripture references to your topic.
- Open your Passage Guide by clicking on Guides in the top menu. Then in the drop down menu click on Passage Guide.
- In the reference box type a word for your topic
- Logos will show you various pericopes which are assoicated with your topic word. Click on one that you think is closely related to your topic.
- Locate the Topics section and click to expand it. Logos shows you various topics which it thinks relates to your scripture reference.
- Now locate a specific topic in which you are interested in and click on the arrow on the left to expand that topic to view links to resources which Logos has tagged for that topic.